Sibling Rivalry
by Samwise Baggins
Summary: Chapter 4 up and Rewritten: Short on money, they'll lose the Dojo, but Ranma gets an idea that may save it... if he can be in both forms at once. ...non slash
1. What's Wrong at the Tendo Dojo?

Title: What's Wrong at the Tendo Dojo?

Authors: Sam and Merrianna  
Series: Sibling Rivalry: 1 / ?

Rating: PG-13: Nothing really bad, but Kodachi scares me, so the rating is high.  
Pairings: None yet  
Characters Intro'd: Akane, Yuka, Sayuri, P-Chan, Ryoga, Ranma (male), Kodachi, Kuno, and Dr. Tofu

Summary: Short on money, they'll lose the Dojo, but Ranma gets an idea that may save it... if he can be in both forms at once.  
Spoilers: Various information throughout the series, both video and manga.

Category: AU, General, Action

Disclaimer: Ranma 1/2 is a trademark of Rumiko Takahashi and Viz Video. We are in no way connected with these people, and we do not claim ownership to these characters, lands, or names. We have borrowed them to share a story... and most likely not a story Rumiko Takahashi would have written, had she had the time or no. We are making no money from this, and it is just for our entertainment, and that of free entertainment to a select group of friends. Thank You.

Distribution: Please ask first?

Setting: AU: Beginning of summer, before the next term starts, in which Ranma, Akane, and Ukyo are juniors; Nibiki and Kuno are seniors.

Note: Song lyrics written by Merrianna.

Second Note: I am very deprived, and have only gotten to read up to Shinnosuke in the Manga and see up to Herb in the video's, so if you find contradictions, please chalk it up to my lack of Ranma 1/2 accessibility, and call it AU problems.

Feedback: Please? We love comments: samwise_baggins@yahoo.co.uk or merriannadragon@yahoo.com

* * *

_ Avoiding our feelings as long as we can  
Too many interruptions, not enough time  
How long until we succumb to the madness  
Being pulled in different directions_

You step that way; I'll step this way  
Eventually we'll come together  
Meeting in the middle

It's not just them...  
Our insensitive words pushing the other away  
Jealousy takes hold  
Fighting is all we ever do

You step that way; I'll step this way  
Eventually we'll come together  
Meeting in the middle

But inside the madness, a calm awaits  
With a look in your eyes, a flash of a smile  
The insecurities melt away  
Feelings are known without being said

You step that way; I'll step this way  
Eventually we'll come together  
Meeting in the middle

Oh, yeah, someday when this dance is done  
We'll come together...  
...In the middle  


* * *

"Wow! Did you see?"

"Hey, let me look..."

"No way! Here? That's so..."

"I wonder if the principal..."

The words overlapped, voices blending, into a cacophony of excited noise. Akane Tendo just sighed and tried to walk around the steadily increasing crowd by the large bulletin board. Unless it had something to do with her directly, she refused to get involved... after all, at least five of the people there used to try to beat her up every morning.

Yuka's voice called out to the sixteen-year-old, "Hey, Akane! Did you hear?"

With a sigh, the brunette stopped walking and turned to wait for her friends. True to form, both Yuka and Sayuri were headed her way, each waving a piece of paper excitedly. _Why can't I even get peace on my last day of term?_ she asked herself with a hint of annoyance. True, these two girls were her closest friends, but still, she was annoyed with their over-eager attitudes.

Maybe it was just because Nibiki had confided that they were very hard up for cash. True, they'd never had a lot of money, but this term had been extremely bad, and now they risked having to sell the Dojo if no one could come up with a better way to make ends meet. It was driving Nibiki up a wall, and Akane not far behind.

When the girls caught up, Akane nodded and gave a very brief smile. "I'm kind of in a hurry. I'm needed at home..." She had been giving that excuse a lot the past two weeks, wihtout explaining why. But, when you are short on the basic needs, any little bit helped. Even Ranma had been avoiding fights to come home and help out. That was a lot more than Mr. Saotome was doing; he'd up and left for a training trip, taking their father with him. Pushing away that angering thought, Akane tried to give a fair amount of attention to her friends, despite her excuses.

"Furiken's hosting the Sibling Rivalry, Akane! It's terrific! Oh, there'll be so much to do this summer!" Yuka was bubbling over with enthusiasm for what was written on her flier.

Sayuri wasn't far behind, waving the paper in front of Akane's nose and laughing. "Imagine how many boys will be here! This will be so... oh! And I'll bet they'll be much more mature than these dumb Furinken jerks."

Akane titled her head. "Sibling... Rivalry? I... it's not familiar... what is it?" She felt out of the loop, suddenly.

With a laugh, both of her friends grabbed her arms and started walking her down the street. Since they were headed in the direction of the Tendo Dojo, Akane didn't complain. They were talking over each other in an effort to explain, making it impossible to understand. Finally, Akane shook her head and stopped walking. She could feel the frustration and anger welling up. Clenching her fists, she ground out, "you aren't making sense."

Yuka grinned. "Let me explain, then, Sayuri." The other girl nodded, beaming happily, as the first girl went into her explanation. "Sibling Rivalry is a martial arts competition held every year in a different area of Japan, China, and some other countries. They usually pick a major University or high-ranking High School to host it. But this year, somehow, Furinken is hosting it. Isn't that great?"

Groaning, Akane shook her head and started walking once more. "A stupid martial arts competition? Great." _Ranma's going to want to join it, and there will go his efforts to help around the house._ Her dark mood suddenly got a lot darker.

"Oh, no, Akane. Not just *any* martial arts competition. This is Sibling Rivalry. It has prizes... and not some stupid trip to a hot spring or a year's worth of ramen, either. The prizes are things like a brand new car or a big money award or such. " Sayuri grinned, gripping her friend's arm once more as they walked. "The prizes are the kind anyone would kill for. And the best thing is, the host school has the home field advantage, wouldn't you agree?"

"Prizes?" The sixteen-year-old felt her heart skip a beat. "Money or a car?" _A car could be sold... Great! Now I'm starting to sound like Nibiki! Still... if it would help us keep the Dojo..._ "Hey, can I see that flier, Yuka? It doesn't sound quite so dumb after all." She flashed a hopeful smile at her friend, who gladly handed over the paper.

Reading quickly, Akane's eyes got wider as she reached the end. "Oh!" This was way too good to be true. It was a weeklong competition ranging in various martial arts skills or other skills involved in martial arts. After the week, the pairs with the highest ratings in each event would compete. The winner of the final event got a grand prize, but even coming in first in just one event got a large prize. Second and third place got smaller prizes, too. This competition could easily save them with any one of the major prizes... and there were two competitors in her household.

Suddenly, Akane whirled around and hugged each friend, laughing. She hadn't even fully smiled in two weeks, and now she was practically dancing. This was perhaps the first time the words 'martial arts' meant 'good news'. "Oh, I can't wait to enter! This is great! How many people do you think will be competing?" She grinned, but her smile faltered at the confused looks on her friends faces.

"Uh, I didn't know your sisters were martial artists, Akane." Yuka seemed puzzled.

_Sisters?_ Just as puzzled, Akane glanced back over the sheet, her eyes falling on the title once more. "Sibling Rivalry? Wait a minute..." Depression started to settle in. "Does this mean I have to compete against my sisters?"

"No." Sayuri shook her head and pulled Akane further down the street. "It means you have to enter as pairs. Teams of two siblings. Solos can't enter, and neither can people who aren't siblings." She tilted her head. "So... I guess Nibiki doesn't compete?"

Defeated before even entering. Akane felt like she wanted to curl in a ball and cry for a week. To come so close to a solution, merely to have it yanked away. "Nibiki hasn't practiced with me for years. I don't know if she's even kept up her training... and I kind of doubt Kasumi's had time." She lifted tear-filling eyes to her friends. "And... and Ranma can't join with me, because we aren't siblings."

"Yeah, just fiancee's and in this case, that's no good." Yuka wrapped an arm around Akane, not quite understanding why her friend was so torn about not competing, but supporting her anyway. "Well, at least there will be plenty of new faces around. I mean, the competitors will book up all the Dojo's for training and practice, and all of the hotels will be so over-crowded, people might even have to take in boarders for the duration."

Without realizing, Yuka had hit upon a solution that Akane hadn't seen. If they couldn't win prizes, they could earn the money by hiring out their Dojo... and taking in boarders. Her mind raced over the possibilities. She could share a room with Nibiki, and Ranma could use Dad's room. That meant two rooms to rent out.

She smiled.

Sayuri seemed relieved, starting to get an understanding about Akane's trouble. She hadn't said anything, of course, but the mention of money always depressed her now, and the mention of ways to get it made her calculating. Suddenly, she stopped short and pulled the other girls to a halt. "You need money, don't you?"

"What!" Akane blinked in surprise.

Sayuri nodded as Yuka's jaw dropped. "You need money for some reason. It's why you're never hanging out anymore. So, you need this competition to get that money. How much do you need?"

The brunette started shaking her head, but Yuka jumped in. "How much, Akane? We're your friends. We won't even ask why you need money, but let us help you." She leaned forward eagerly, intent on helping her life-long friend.

Akane shook her head, her voice softening with tears and some shame. "It's not me. It's my entire family. Dad and Mr. Saotome are on a training trip, so that helps a bit... but..." She looked up, desperate to spill everything. The looks of sympathy on her friends' faces helped push her over the edge. "And without money, we'll lose the Dojo... maybe even the house. Nibiki and Ranma have after-school jobs, and I help Kasumi at home."

"Well, let's get you home, then. And just think about those people needing rooms and practice space. I'm sure Nibiki will if you tell her." Yuka grinned widely, worrying about the Tendos, but not letting Akane see that worry. She needed support not pity.

They dragged the thankful girl the rest of the way home, unaware of the little black pig with the soaking yellow bandana sitting near the bushes.

P-Chan's eyes were huge and his ears near flattened with sudden worry. He'd been looking for Koto, and thought he'd found the place when he'd been suddenly doused with cold water. Seeing Akane Tendo walk by, over-hearing her heart-wrenching tale to her friends, tore at the little pig's tender heart. He had to find some way to help Akane... right after finding hot water so he could be human again.

The pig stood and started trying to drag his over-sized backpack. It was made more difficult because he had to use his teeth, pig hooves not being made for grasping things. As he slowly dragged the pack after the girls, his mind raced over possible ways he could help the girl he loved. If only he really did have a sister, like Ranma had convinced him of once, then he could enter the contest.

_He'd win and give all of his winnings to Akane. Then she'd say 'Oh, Ryoga! How... how sweet! And you did this for me? You saved me! I love you, Ryoga!' and she'd hug him and..._

"Well, well... P-Chan." The pig was suddenly scooped up into a strong, lean hand. Ranma was grinning at the squirming porcine, something about the way his tired blue eyes looked reaching his 'captive' far more than anything else could have. The pig stopped struggling, and Ranma carried him into Doctor Tofu's office.

When he had Ryoga turned back into a human, the other sixteen-year-old sat down and crossed his arms and legs. He watched the other boy, his biggest rival, carefully, waiting and letting the silence build. He didn't even seem aware that the outfit he wore, one of his rather dressier Chinese outfits, might get wrinkled in this pose.

Finally, Ryoga spoke. "Thank you, Ranma."

It was certainly nothing that the Saotome heir expected to hear, and seemed to startle Ryoga Hibiki just as much. Ranma tilted his head and frowned. "No problem. So, I thought ya went tourin' or somethin'."

"I did." Ryoga's voice was still soft, but he was in control now. "I got... mixed up and wound up back here. It's perfect timing, too, since I... I heard Akane say they have to sell the Dojo." He lifted pained, brown eyes to Ranma's, intensely praying he'd misunderstood what he'd heard as P-Chan. Ranma's reaction didn't alleviate Ryoga's worry.

The boy stood up, walking slowly around the room, hands clasped behind his head. He didn't say anything for a long time, and when he did speak, it was to confirm Ryoga's worst fears... or nearly worst, that is. "Yeah. Money's pretty tight right now. Pop and Mr. Tendo ditched as soon as they heard, somethin' 'bout relievin' the burden of two more mouths ta feed." He turned to his long-time rival and sighed, letting his arms drop to his sides, strong hands hanging loose and ineffectual. "So, I got a job sweepin' an' stuff for Doctor Tofu, and Nibiki's doin' some type of 'banking internship'. It ain't much, but anythin' helps, right?"

Ranma had been so absorbed with trying to help out his fiancee's family, he had deliberately avoided anything martial arts... except practicing daily in the early mornings. It was still hard getting up that early to work out, but he needed the afternoons to get the money for working, so mornings were the only time he had to practice at all. Competitions, challenges, and fights were strictly out of the question, and he'd refused every one given him.

It hadn't been easy, either. He hated anyone thinking he was weak or scared. But the girls needed him, and he had to put his own personal training on hold. He wouldn't be able to hold his head up if he ditched them now. So he took the speculative looks and derogatory whispers, ignoring anything that came his way and avoiding anything that had to do with his art.

It helped that Kuno was on some sort of sabbatical and hadn't tried to glomp Akane or insult him. It was really hard to ignore that jerk. And with Shampoo and Mousse so busy at the Café, he had managed to avoid them, as well, which was nothing short of a miracle.

Ryoga interrupted Ranma's straying thoughts. "Uh..." _If I tell him, he can't do anything anyway... but... if I could only think of a way!_ "Uh..." 

"Yeah, we got that, Ryoga. Uh. Uh, what?" Ranma frowned at the other teen and crossed his arms behind his head again.

For his part, Ryoga slid one hand up to the back of his head and scratched where his bandana was tied. It didn't itch, just being a long-time habit of his. After a long moment of thinking and scratching, the boy decided. "There's a big martial arts..."

"No!" Ranma turned his back, hands clenching into fists as his arms shot back down to his sides. He couldn't stand this avoidance of his favorite sport, but he had to. He'd promised to help out. "I'm not interested."

The sound of someone falling onto the floor had Ranma whirling around, gaping at the sight of Ryoga sprawled out. "What?" Ryoga slowly sat up, shaking his head in shock. "Not interested? But... it'll bring in money."

"I said... wait a minute. Did ya say money?" Ranma leaned forward and crossed his arms. "Okay, I'm listenin', Ryoga."

He wasn't so happy after the broken explanation. "So, ya don't know when it is, who's allowed to enter, or even where it is. All ya know is Akane's plannin' on rentin' rooms to these competitors? Gee, Ryoga, and here I thought ya had no useful information at all." His voice was heavy with sarcasm.

Hanging his head, Ryoga absently ran his tongue around his mouth, instinctively avoiding his odd fangs. He raised his head, eyes blazing. "She also said something about renting the Dojo out for the people to practice in. I figured," and here he gave up his private ideas to show Ranma he wasn't as stupid as the other boy apparently thought, "someone would be willing to hire a sparring partner for the duration, you know?"

Ranma paused, staring at Ryoga with ever widening blue eyes. "Hire a sparring partner?" He tossed that around in his mind. He could do that. He'd get paid to fight. That was, well, the perfect job! With a whoop, Ranma actually hugged his long-time rival. "Perfect! What's this match called again?"

It was a few seconds before the stunned teen answered the question. Ranma wasn't usually affectionate towards him... in fact, most people weren't, unless it was Akane when he was P-Chan. "Uh. Sibling Rivalry."

"Sib... Whoa!" Ranma whirled back to Ryoga and started at him so intently, the other boy flushed. "Ya mean Furinken's hostin' Sibling Rivalry? I gotta enter!"

Ryoga shook his head. "Can't. Need to have a brother or sister to enter." He crossed his arms, almost gloating at the other teen. "And since you aren't really my little sister, that's going to be hard, isn't it?" He was of course referring to the time Ranma had fooled him by dressing up and acting like he was Ryoga's little sister.

Ranma wasn't listening though, his thoughts stuck on only one part of that phrase.

"Not really little sister..." His mind raced over and over, tumbling the phrase around. He knew he needed to enter; he could win. And the prize money would save the Dojo and bring his family honor back, since it was his Pop who'd shamed him by ditching when most needed. "Not really little sister..." How could he make this work? Something about that phrase tugged.

With a shake of his head, Ryoga stood up and moved towards the exit. "The point is, you're not. I'm going to go offer to help Akane with the practicing. I can hire out as a sparring partner, and... maybe give Akane half the money or something... you know, to pay for the use of the Dojo."

The other teen wasn't listening, merely nodding at Ryoga's words. He let the boy walk outside, but before Ryoga could turn the corner and get himself lost, Ranma shot out the door and grabbed his arm. "Hey, I think I'll offer myself, too. Let me take ya home. Doctor Tofu!" He turned to call back inside, to let his employer know he needed some time off.

However, the pair of plotters were interrupted by an insane cackling on the air. This was followed by a trim beauty in black leotard lightly landing in front of them. She was twirling a ribbon excitedly in the air and letting her mad laughter echo around. Her good looking, if unbalanced, brother also arrived to make Ranma's day complete.

"Greetings, Ranma Saotome. Ryoga Hibiki. I..." he was interrupted by his sister.

"Ranma, darling, you've heard Sibling Rivalry is coming to Furinken, of course. Oh, it's a shame it's siblings and not people with the same name, or my darling brother and I could compete against you and that red-haired strumpet." She cackled again, the noise going right up Ranma's spine like a chill.

Ryoga frowned, about to actually come to Ranma's rescue, concerning the remark about the red-haired strumpet, when Kuno interrupted. "How many times, sister dear, do I have to inform you that the pair most likely share a name due to family ties." He looked her up and down, and Ranma became aware that there was something different in the older boy's eyes. Somehow, he looked less... intense? Insane?

"I don't care. I still would like to get her into a competition. Last time she cheated me, and this time..."

"You're on."

All of the teens turned to stare at Ranma. He had one fist clenched and a determined air about him. "Me an' my sister accept your challenge, Kodachi. We'll meet ya at Sibling Rivalry, and we'll beat ya, too. Come on, Ryoga. Let's go home." Before either Kuno sibling could argue or question him, Ranma Saotome grabbed Ryoga's arm and pulled him down the street.

At that moment, Dr. Tofu came from the back of his office in a belated response to Ranma's call. All he saw, however, was Kodachi Kuno skipping from building to building, twirling her ribbon and cackling like mad. Her brother was calmly getting into the Kuno family limousine. Looking around, not spotting Ranma, Dr. Tofu scratched his head. With a shrug and an "Oh, well," the doctor went back inside, seemingly forgetting he even had an employee.

After several minutes of walking, Ryoga frowned at his rival. "What do you mean your sister? You don't have a sister, Ranma. And in Sibling Rivalry, both siblings have to be present at the same time. You can't pull this off by switching into a girl once in a while." He didn't admit it, but when Ranma said 'let's go home,' it had felt good... like he really had a home at Akane's house.

"Maybe I shoulda said _my brother_." Ranma turned in at the walkway to the Tendo residence, still dragging Ryoga. He pushed open the door, ignoring the boy's confusion.

"Brother? Who's your brother?"

Ranma didn't answer.

Continued in Chapter Two: Plots and Planning


	2. Plots and Planning

Title: Plots and Planning 

Series: Sibling Rivalry: 2 / ?

Rating: PG-13: Language, and Kodachi scares me, so the rating is high.  
Pairings: Mention of Akane/Ranma, Mention of Ukyo/ Ranma  
Characters Intro'd: Nibiki, Ukyo, Ranma-female (Ranko)

Feedback: Please? We love comments: samwise_baggins@yahoo.co.uk or merriannadragon@yahoo.com

* * *

Nibiki Tendo hung up the phone, a thoughtful look on her face. Biting the end of her pencil, she absently tapped her fingers against the message pad on her desk. Several minutes passed before the seventeen-year-old was interrupted by a knock at her door. She jerked up, yanking the pencil from her mouth and covering the open page before her.

"Who is it?" she called, masking her sudden irritation at being intruded upon. She'd only been home for half an hour, after all, and relished her privacy more now that she'd had to get a job.

"It's Akane. I think I found a way to save the Dojo, Nibiki. Let me in!"

Her sister's excited voice, after two weeks of misery, interested Nibiki as much as her hopeful words. "It's unlocked." The brunette straightened in her chair and let her expression turn to one of satisfaction, as if she hadn't just been on the phone trying to solve their money problems. Her satisfaction wavered towards delight as the younger teen hurried in with a wide smile.

Akane hugged Nibiki, her brown eyes dancing. "Have you heard about the martial arts competition?" Grinning, she clasped her hands to keep from shaking in her excitement.

"Martial arts? So, is Ranma going to compete, or were you thinking of yourself?" Nibiki stretched, feeling disappointment, but not letting it show. "And how will that help save our home?"

The words sunk in, bringing Akane up short. Her eyes widened and she sunk onto the bed, whispering, "it's gotten that bad, Nibiki?"

The older teen stood and walked towads her closet, opening it and looking through as if unconcerned. She had her pencil in her mouth, nibbling in her normal show of nervous energy. She didn't need to answer her sibling, Akane seemed to catch on without any more clues.

"Oh, Nibiki! But..." Akane smiled wide, this time the expression forced. "Yuka and Sayuri were talking about a large competition coming to Furinken. They mentioned that we could take in borders or rent the Dojo out. I thought maybe with Sibling Rivalry, we could save..."

"Sibling Rivalry?" Nibiki turned and pulled the writing utensil from her mouth. "Is that the competition?" A grin split her face, her eyes finally lighting up. "We're saved." Quickly, the trim girl hurried to her desk and picked up the phone, starting to dial and write on her notepad simultaneously.

Akane moved towards her sister's desk, tilting her head. "You mean this will work?"

Pulling her ear from the phone temporarily, Nibiki stared at her little sister in amusement. "Saved? I don't know what you've heard, but Sibling Rivalry is only the biggest competition in Asia. If it's truly coming to Furinken High School, we won't have enough room for all the people who'll need places."

"Good." Akane nodded and sat on the bed again. "I was thinking Ranma could take Dad's room, and we could..."

Nibiki's head shot up again and she shook her head decisively. "Oh, no, Akane. Daddy ditched us to deal with this ourselves. His room is biggest. We'll move Kasumi into my room and Ranma can crash in Happosai's room. We'll rent out Daddy's, Kasumi's, and Ranma's rooms. That will allow us to bring in more people. Renting out Dojo space is a good idea; those competitors will want the practice space. God, this job has kept me out of the loop!" Nibiki heard a click in the phone and grinned widely, covering the mouthpiece and turning fully to her sister. "Be a good girl and close the door on the way out. I need to arrange a renter's license."

It was a definite dismissal, and it angered Akane instantly. After all, she should be allowed to help with this idea. _Why do they always treat me like a baby? First I'm not allowed to get a job, now I'm not allowed to help with this competition._ She headed downstairs almost hoping Ranma would show up and pick a fight with her. She felt the need to hit something.

Before the black-haired girl could get to the steps, however, Nibiki's door opened and she was called back. "Akane! I've thought of something. It's a series of competitions, right? All we need to do is win one of the sub-categories to get a large prize."

Akane turned and nodded, still wanting to help and feeling left out. She hid her clenched fists in her skirts. "Yes, and the teams who score highest in each category compete in the finals."

"Good! Could you look into entering us? I'm busy here, and you can find out the rules and such." With that Nibiki shut her bedroom door.

Stunned, the sixteen-year-old couldn't absorb what had just happened, at least for a full minute or two. Then, suddenly, it sunk in. Nibiki wanted to enter Sibling Rivalry as her partner? _Oh! We'll win, I'm sure of it. Nibiki wouldn't enter unless she could, would she?_ Tension flowed from the girl and she skipped down the steps, smiling once more.

If she had seen where Ranma was at that moment, chances were that she wouldn't have been quite so pleased.

"Hey, Ucchan!" Ranma dragged Ryoga through the shop entrance of Ucchan's Okonomiyaki Shop. Behind the counter worked his childhood best friend,Ukyo Kuonji. The sixteen-year-old boy had to tighten his grasp on the other teenaged boy, as he tried to leave.

Ukyo looked up, long hair falling over one shoulder. She smiled, her eyes lighting up and turning her cute features prettier than Ranma would admit. "What is it, Ranchan? Hey, Ryoga."

Ryoga nodded, glaring at Ranma. "Hello." It wasn't that he disliked Ukyo, far from it. She was one of the people he often plotted with or talked to. However, when Ranma'd told the Kuno twins that he was going home, Ryoga had certainly thought that meant the Tendo's home.

The girl lifted an eyebrow in surprise. _Hmmm... something's definitely up. Ryoga's usually the polite one._

Sinking onto a stool, Ranma tugged Ryoga to a seat next to him. "I need ta ask a favor, Ucchan. There's this big martial arts competition comin' up: Sibling Rivalry."

"Yeah, I heard." The chef slid a helping of Okonomyaki in front of each boy, out of habit really. "The entire school's buzzing about it. Wish I had a sibling, I'd jump in right away."

Ranma started happily chowing down, talking between bites. "Well, I need ya ta keep an eye on me." He gulped down the drink she offered. "This's great." He grinned at her, eating more.

Ukyo was flattered by his compliments, as always, but she didn't let that distract her. Instead, she put her hands on her hips and frowned severely. "And what do you mean by that, Ranchan?" Ryoga shrugged his confusion when she glanced to him for an explanation.

Sighing in pleasure, the teenaged boy merely grinned, blue eyes dancing with near-mischief. "Easy. All during Sibling Rivalry, if I'm not competin', I need ya with me constantly. If I try ta go anywhere I'm not s'posed ta be, I want ya ta stop me an' point me right back where I belong."

"That doesn't make any sense, Ranma Honey. You can't join Sibling Rivalry, and you certainly know where you should be during a competition." Ukyo crossed her arms, frowning.

Ryoga looked up at his friend, thinking _Yup, he's lost his mind. First he mentions a brother and sister he doesn't have, and now he's planning on going someplace he's not allowed to be?_ The fanged boy shook his head and started eating his own dinner.

The grin never faded as Ranma nodded. "Trust me, Ucchan? I'm gonna enter. If ya see me as a girl, don't worry 'bout it. But if ya see me as a boy, stick ta me like glue." He stood and tugged Ryoga, who'd only finished half his food. "We gotta get back ta the Dojo, Ryoga. C'mon."

"And have Akane kill me? What are you up to?" The girl frowned and glared behind the retreating boys, then switched her glare to the plate of half-finished okonomoyaki. "What's that jackass think he's playing at now?"

Outside of the shop, Ryoga stopped short. His incredible strength even pulled Ranma to a halt. Crossing his arms, he frowned at the other teen. "Explain, Ranma. Why do you need Ukyo hanging around. What'll that do to Akane; she is your fiancee." His voice was filled with self-righteous anger.

Ranma rolled his eyes. "It ain't got nothin' ta do with Akane. I'm not lettin' Ukyo hang all over me. She's gonna make sure nothin' goes wrong. I'll explain when we get home. Can ya spend a bit at the Dojo?"

"How long?" He started walking with Ranma, careful to keep an eye on his companion. Ryoga was notorious for his lack of direction-sense. It went beyond getting mixed up with instructions or directions. It went as far as not being able to figure out where his house was if he was standing in front of it. He sure didn't want to wander off while Ranma was inviting him over to Akane's house.

The other boy tossed a grin at his rival and kept walking. "Well, it's like this..."

Time seemed to pass as the boys discussed their plans. Time equally passed for the Tendo sisters, as they'd even gotten Kasumi in on their plots and she had some good ideas, too. Thus, when dinner was served at the family table, the five teenagers were filled with plans and dreams and secrets. No one quite wanted to break the excited silence, as no one seemed to want to tell their ideas and possibly jinx them. The two sets of plotters, therefore, remained ignorant of each other's plans.

~~* ~~* ~~*  


Finally, the first day of Sibling Rivalry arrived. Great crowds had poured into the neighboring districts, and it was tight quarters at the Tendo home. Nibiki and Kasumi were in the same room, were as Ryoga had moved into Happosai's room with Ranma, the outsider paying a rental fee upon his own insistance; the master wasn't there, so it made that a bit easier. Akane had her own room for the time being, but it was quite apparent that Nibiki would rent out that bedroom in a heartbeat, if she could get away with it.

As Akane sat down at the table for breakfast, she frowned. Ranma and Ryoga weren't downstairs yet. That was highly unusual for her finacee, as he was a bottomless pit at all meals. She frowned and looked towards the steps, hearing someone coming down them.

The sight of the pretty, petitie redhead dressed for the competition sent anger through her. _Baka! He's really going through with his stupid plots!_ She'd overheard a bit of Ranma's plans, as far as that he was entering himself twice as brother and sister. _He'll never pull it off._ Akane had read the rules and descriptions of the competitions, and knew there were a couple he'd have to be both siblings for... and that was impossible unless he'd found a way to split his halves.

Ranma, in female form, sat down and started eating. She was being neat, which was an extreme surprise, as she never acted in any way lady-like. Looking up, she tilted her head at Akane. "What?"

"Baka." Anger dripped from her voice, as the dark-haired teen turned her back on her fiancee. She blinked in shock as she saw Ranma in his male form coming down the steps. Something was wrong, it seemed... off. But there he was. Akane whirled to look next to her, blinking at seeing female Ranma. Her head swivelled back and forth, resembling a spectator at a tennis match. "How... okay, Ranma, what'd you do? Did you use Happosai's incense again?"

Kasumi walked in and dropped the bowl she'd been carrying. Nibiki, also entering, jumped out of the way of flying food. They both stared in shock and curiosity at the sight of both Ranmas in the room together. "Oh, my!" the voice of the eldest Tendo sister put words to the thoughts of all three girls.

"We're gonna be late, 'Kane. Ain't you an' Nibiki entered?" The red-haired girl bounced to her feet, grabbing a handful of pastries and her male form's wrist, tugging him out the door. "C'mon, Ranma... and don't forget. Call me Ranko."

The male Ranma merely blinked, flushed ever so slightly, and let himself be pulled away without protest.

Outside, Ranko pushed the food at her _sibling_. Eat those, but try not ta let anyone see ya doin' it. We gotta find Ucchan." She again started tugging Ranma's wrist, grinning as Ukyo came into view just around the corner. Hurrying over, ignoring the shocked, then displeased, look on her friend's face, Ranko finally let go Ranma's wrist. "Okay. Ya promised ta keep an eye on Ranma, Ucchan. Here he is. Don't let him do anythin' stupid, like forget a match or somethin'."

"What did you... Ranma Saotome, how in the world did you split yourself in two?" Ukyo crossed her arms, glaring at the smaller girl. She tapped her foot in a tattoo of displeasure.

The male Ranma merely looked to his female counterpart for the explanation, still holding the pastries, not having eaten a one.

The redhead slipped her arms behind her head, in a very old habitual move. "Look, Ukyo, we ain't got time. I'll explain later. Right now, I gotta get ta that competition." She turned, dropped her arms to her sides, sprang onto a nearby fence and raced off, leaving the other teens behind. Ranko called over her shoulder, "Don't lose him, Ucchan! I'm countin' on ya!"

Ukyo turned to Ranma, frowning. "So, you explain Ranma. What's going on? How'd you split up, and why do I have to babysit you?" Always one to take advantage of any situation, Ukyo laced her arm with that of her oldest friend. She'd always counted herself among his fiancees, and privately thought she was the best one for him. "Start talking."

When Ranma spoke, however, it was quite unlike his normal way. He barely opened his mouth, and his voice was a slow whisper, every word apparently weighed heavily before spoken. "I should... shouldn't say any... anythin'... Ran... ko'd get... mad."

His strange speech patterns and something unplaceable confused Ukyo as she studied him. After awhile, though, she decided that as long as he didn't start acting extremely weird, she could live with him being in her constant company. Smiling, Ukyo looked up into Ranma's beautiful brown eyes, thinking she'd never noticed how soulful they were before. Seemed she'd always thought them bright and alive, not deep and... well, the kind to draw one in and want to pet the troubles away. The teen flushed at that idea.

"Okay, Ranma Honey, don't explain. Let's get you to the competition, Sugar." She grinned, leading him directly past the Cat Cafe, imagining the indignation and anger of Shampoo, another girl who claimed to be Ranma's fiancee. Ukyo didn't know that Shampoo was already at the competition, so hadn't seen the pair passing by her grandmother's shop.

Ranma let himself be led, looking uncomfortable, but also determined.

Continued in Chapter Three: ---when written---


	3. Too Many Ranmas

Title: Too Many Ranmas

Series: Sibling Rivalry: 3 / ?

Rating: PG-13: Dirty Old Man, and Kodachi scares me, so the rating is high.

Pairings: Mention of Akane/Ranma, Ukyo/ Ranma, Shampoo/ Ranma, and Akane/ Kuno

Characters Intro'd: Shampoo, Lin-Lin, Ran-Ran, Principal Kuno

Feedback: Please? We love comments: samwisebagginsyahoo.co.uk or merriannadragonyahoo.com

* * *

Waiting in line to present their birth certificates, Akane frowned and glanced around. Nabiki was next to her chatting amiably with one of her friends, who'd shown up for support. Kasumi wouldn't be able to come root them on until later, as she was tending to the boarders and renters.

The youngest Tendo sister should have been glad things seemed to be going so smoothly, despite almost being unable to enter due to finding out about the competition so late. They had barely made the cut-off date, in fact. But the competition wasn't what bothered her. It was Ranma. How in the world had he become two people... again? He'd rushed out so quickly this morning she hadn't even gotten to glance at him twice. Annoyance welled up inside Akane at the fact that her fiance hadn't even considered discussing his plans, not that he ever did. Whatever crazy stunt he'd pulled to separate his male and female halves had been totally unnecessary, and Akane found herself nastily hoping he would suffer for it.

Repressing that thought, feeling suddenly guilty, Akane glanced around again, trying to catch sight of either Ranma. He was doing this for the Tendo family, after all, so why should she get so angry with him? And it wasn't like he'd be able to compete, any way. Even if he had made the cut-off date, he still had to present identification for both his halves... something he wouldn't be able to do without help from someone like Nabiki. And her sister had assured her that Ranma hadn't come to her for faked papers or anything.

Sudden whispering alerted Akane to the presence of someone either important or at least interesting. She turned at Nabiki's snicker. Seeing red, the younger sister had to be held back by the elder, preventing her from storming over to Ukyo and dragging her off Ranma's arm. Clenching her fists, eyes narrowed and teeth tightly clamped, she merely contented herself with glaring at the pair of them. _How dare he flaunt himself that way!_

The whispering increased, though Akane barely registered it. She was so intent on trying to mentally pulverize Ukyo that she had to be prodded to move forward in line. It was Shampoo's loud voice that drew her attention from one of Ranma's fiances to another.

"What Spatula Girl do with Airen? Is Shampoo fiance!" With a glare, the purple-haired Amazon warrior took a step back, preparing for a flying leap at one of her rivals.

Ukyo brandished her over-sized fighting spatula, her glare equally ominous. "You just go ahead and try it, Sugar. Ranma asked me to be with him today."

Akane whirled to face the front of the line, ignoring the happenings nearby. "Fine... not that I care, anyway." Her voice was low with anger and hurt.

Lifting an eyebrow, Nabiki shrugged one shoulder and studied her nails nonchalantly. Her voice was equally unfeeling. "Muttering to oneself is a sign of great emotional upheaval, little sister."

What Akane missed, but Nabiki relished in seeing, was male Ranma suddenly stepping between the two combatants. He lifted his hands, looking a bit nervous, as he softly claimed, "Wait, please, it's not like that." As his voice was low, the girls had to strain to hear. He kept his mouth closed as much as he was able, and his brown eyes were nervous and pained.

The crowd hushed. Then, as if on a wave, the audible level heightened once more. Shocked whispers could be heard all around, speculation and rumors flew. During that very brief moment of calm, female Ranma had appeared, to step up next to Ukyo and male Ranma.

"Heya, Shampoo. Hey, Ucchan, glad ya made it..."

She was interrupted by an incredulous Shampoo. "How Airen do this?"

"Huh?" Ranko looked over at the Chinese girl. "Do what?"

Shampoo walked over as Akane turned in sudden interest. There was Ukyo, still brandishing her spatula, standing behind Ranma, who looked incredibly self-conscious. Shampoo had stopped right in front of Ranko, who stood looking slightly confused, but more intrigued. The crowd, mostly Furinken students waiting around to see the contestants, was buzzing about the two Ranmas side by side.

"Do this?" Shampoo gestured to the male and female, giving Ukyo a contemptuous glare.

"Huh?" Ranko turned to puzzle over the sight of Ranma and Ukyo. Finally, with a laugh, she shrugged and called out, "I ain't done nothin', Shampoo. We're gonna enter the fight and win." Her laughter was a bit too bright, though, indicating she was trying to distract questioners. "Hey, ain't those your sisters, Shampoo?" She desperately gestured to a pair of twin girls standing and watching with barely veiled interest.

It was, however, enough to draw the attention of her interrogator away. Shampoo turned, purple hair swishing around her hips, and smiled deviously. "Is so. Linlinranran," she ran the names together until they sounded like one blurred name, "win fighting, yes? Beat stupid Spatula Girl."

Ukyo laughed rudely. "Hate to break it to you, Sugar, but I'm not entered. I don't have a sibling. Don't you have to check in, Ranma-Honey?" She turned to the teen whose arm she still held tightly.

"Ranma no fight." Shampoo frowned, looking back from Ranko to Ranma again. "How is possible?"

"Uh..." Ranko looked at Ranma then shrugged and grinned widely, putting on a false bravado once more. "Well, we're twins ain't we?" With that, she latched onto Ranma's arm and tugged him from Ukyo's grasp, pulling him, unresisting, towards the sign-in area. Ukyo frowned but hurried to follow missing Shampoo's narrow-eyed gaze behind them.

Coming up beside Akane and Nabiki, Ranko let out a whoosh of air, giving the Tendo sisters a weak smile. The smile slipped as she noted Akane's glare. "What'd I do now?" It was said with an almost resigned tone.

"How did you split..." Akane's eyes widened. She titled her head, something tugging at the back of her mind. Something was odd about Ranma... but she couldn't place it... yet.

Ranko literally gulped at Akane's calculating look and tugged her counterpart further up the queue, ignoring the fact that she had been last in line and was cutting. People didn't argue, however, letting the Saotome pair go through, curiosity evident in the whispers shooting back and forth. Taking advantage, Akane tugged Nabiki right after them, not letting the pair from her sight.

A judge looked up and blinked in surprise at the sight of a tall, muscular dark-haired male and a very petite, if well-developed, red-haired female. "Uh... yes?" He couldn't figure out for the life of him why this mismatched couple was standing in front of him... especially as the male looked uncomfortable and the female was smiling fit to burst.

"Yeah, the Saotome twins." A gasp was heard, followed by increased whispering, which Ranko ignored. "We're here to confirm reservation in the competition." She was doing an admirable job of controlling her normally bad diction.

"Twins? Uh... you don't look... uh..." the judge was elbowed by a woman next to him and he coughed, taking his eyes from the redhead's ample bosom. "Well... you need proof... uh... Birth Certificates for both of you? Or maybe adoption papers or... uh..."

Akane was intrigued to find out just how Ranma would weasel through this one. She was, therefore, quite shocked when the petite redhead pulled out two files and brandished them like a set of trophies. _What's he up to now?_

"Gotcha." Ranko handed over the two files and grinned wider, relief in her vivid blue eyes. "My parents are separated, see, so I can't get those other papers. But how about school records?"

"School records?" The low tone was Nabiki. "That's something I hadn't thought of."

Akane frowned and turned to her older sister. "What do you mean? How can Ranma's school record get both of them into the competition? He's registered as Ranma, not Ranko."

Nabiki nodded, but something about her smile irked her younger sister.

The judge looked up and frowned. "It says you're both Ranma Saotome. What is this? No parent names both children the same..."

Ranko laughed and leaned forward, using what feminine wiles she had managed to learn, which weren't much. "Well, Pop's a bit dim. He registered Ranma at Furinken but forgot to register me. Then, when he did register me, he stupidly used Ranma's name. But, if you look, it's got me listed as a girl and Ranma as a boy."

A voice interrupted the proceedings, laughing loudly. "Me afraid is true. The wahini speak correct, yeah? Me wrote them files meself, yeah? Furinken has two _kakei_'s name Ranma Saotome, one _wahini_ and one _wakini_." The principal grinned foolishly at the judge, but gestured towards Ranma. "And de _kakei_ making me proud, yeah? He done cut his pigtail off."

The crowd hushed in awe as the Saotome twins froze. Ranko flushed bright red, bright enough to clash with her hair, inadvertently reaching up to touch her own braided pigtail. But it was true; Ranma had his hair short in the back, though the front was the same as it always had been.

"Ranma cut his hair?" Akane couldn't believe it either. It certainly would account for why she thought something was odd about him. But... somehow that didn't feel right. There was something else, something she couldn't place yet...

The principal's delight at Ranma's change in hairstyle could account for why he supported Ranko's story about there being two Saotome children. The judge, unfamiliar with Jusenkyo, or the curses it wrought in the lives of Furinken students, accepted the headmaster's words. He nodded and smiled in relief, writing something on a registration form with the header "Saotome". Looking up, tearing his eyes once more from that healthy teenaged bosom, the man nodded. "Right. Saotome Ranko and Soatome Ranma. Good to go." With that, he handed them a pair of numbers and waved them towards the warm-up area.

Nabiki had to push Akane to the judge's table, smirking at just how clever Ranma had been. She'd greatly underestimated that boy. Sneaking to the school to get both of his files, knowing the principal would keep a file for each of his genders, and actually cutting his hair to get Principal Kuno to support him, were all things Nabiki would have thought beyond the boy... especially the bit about his hair. He had, until then, been very adamant about keeping it long.

"Yes?" The female judge smiled at the Tendo sisters and held out her hand. Nabiki handed over their birth certificates and watched as the judge stamped their form and handed Akane their pair of numbers. Then, the siblings hurried over to the warm-up area, looking for a certain red-haired girl.

They found the pair arguing in very low voices, an argument quickly hushed up when Ranma noticed them approaching. Ranko spun around and smiled, fighting the annoyance she'd been feeling at her counterpart. "Well, first hurdle crossed, huh?" She gestured with her head towards the judge's table.

Akane nodded and frowned, thinking she preferred Ranma with longer hair. She flushed at the thought, berating herself soundly. _It's not as if it matters to me if he cuts off that stupid pigtail._ But, somehow, it did; Ranma seemed more like... well... Ranma... when he had long hair.

A woman was hurrying around handing out files to each pair. She smiled at the Tendos, and the Saotomes, then hurried on in her chore. Ranko glanced over the file and made to hand it to Ranma when something made her eyes widen and she double-checked it. "What the!? They changed the line-up!"

"Did they?" Akane frowned and peeked over Nabiki's shoulder at the list, going instantly pale as she saw that the competition events had indeed been changed from the originally posted ones. "Swimming? What in the world made them add swimming?" It was a low groan.

Ranko shrugged. "Guess they figured it helps ta be toned. Hey... they added cookin', too. Looks like ya lost already 'Kane." Ranko instantly regretted her words at the flare of pain in her fiance's eyes.

"Swi... swi... swimming?" Ranma had gone extremely pale, his voice choking up, making him sound less like himself. He turned huge brown eyes on his female half.

_Brown eyes? When did Ranma get brown eyes?_ Akane momentarily forgot her troubles with swimming and cooking to try to capture that fleeting image. It was more pressing, but still beyond her grasp. However, short hair and brown eyes definitely sounded un-Ranma like.

Nabiki smirked at the discomfort of the group and shrugged, opening her mouth to say something. She didn't get the chance as a hair-raising cackle sounded over the entire gathering. The insane laughter was followed by the appearance of the Kuno twins, Kodachi tripping over lightly in her rose-embroidered black leotard, Kuno walking sedately behind her in his habitual hakama. Sister and brother stopped before the other two couples, one lightly grasping a pair of numbers, the other determinedly clutching a competition file.

"Heya, Kuno-baby." Nabiki turned her smirk towards her classmate.

Tatewaki Kuno nodded, barely looking at the girl. "Nabiki Tendo." Instead, he seemed more intent on the other three competitors. "I see you did not back out, Saotome. And you have indeed brought the fair pigtailed-goddess with you." His words were familiar, but something about his attitude was changed. He, in fact, sounded disinterested... for some unfathomable reason unwilling to throw himself at the feet of one of the two girls he adored. His greeting to Akane was a bit warmer, though nothing like his usual groping lust. "Akane Tendo, I see you are as fair as ever."

Both Ranko and Ranma flushed at Kuno's remarks, but neither had time to do anything remotely humiliating in response. Kodachi had centered her sights on the Saotomes and was laughing as she skipped over to Ranma, trying to grab his arm. Ranma, for his part, was studiously avoiding her, going so far as to move to the other side of his female half and turn an annoyed glare on the Kuno girl.

"Ranma, darling..."

Again, the group was interrupted, as this time the Amazons rushed over. Shampoo had accompanied her sisters to the warm-up area and was glaring daggers at Kodachi. Ukyo hurried up to them as well, having managed to slip past the judges. And, as always seemed to happen around Ranma or Akane, chaos ensued. Female voices, arguing and threatening each other, rang out over the entire practice field of Furinken High School.

Ranma made no move to defend himself. He instead grabbed Ranko's wrist and tugged her away from the cacophony, observed by only Akane and Nabiki. The sisters disentangled themselves, as well, to follow the Saotomes to a more private area. It was quite intriguing to note that only a few steps around the edge of the gymnasium Ranko pulled sharply to a halt, hissing, "Stop, you'll get us lost, dolt."

Ranma turned to Ranko, horror in his eyes. "You said nothing about swimming, Ranma." His voice was a low, menacing growl only too familiar to the Tendo siblings.

"Ranma Saotome, how dare you!"

The pair jumped guiltily as Akane stormed over to poke an imperious finger into Ranko's breastbone. Nabiki followed at a more leisurely pace, looking smug about something. Ranko turned wide, innocent blue eyes up to her fiance as Ranma looked anywhere but at the irate Akane.

"Using poor Ryoga like this." She had figured it out. It wasn't Ranma at all; it was Ryoga dressed to look like him. Akane ignored the fact, temporarily, that dressed up in the familiar Chinese clothes, Ryoga Hibiki had an uncanny resemblance to Ranma Saotome. Instead, she decided to vent her annoyance on her true target. "I don't know how you convinced him to cheat and lie for you, but you have to withdrawal. You can't force Ryoga to do something like this."

Ryoga, for he was indeed that poor soul, flushed at Akane's defense of him. He'd always known he loved the youngest Tendo girl, and this just fueled his love all the more. It was wonderful to hear her actually yelling at her own fiance to defend his, Ryoga's, honor. Wisely, however, the boy didn't give away that she was correct in her assumptions. It was too important nobody else figure out what Ranma and Ryoga were up to.

Ranko, or Ranma if one wanted to get technical, lifted her hands and grinned sheepishly. "Hey, quiet down, will ya? It ain't so bad, really. _Ranma_," and she stressed the word in case anyone overheard them talking, "wanted ta help out with the Dojo, too, since ya always helped him out and let him stay an' stuff. So, I figured the Sibling Rivalry would be a great way ta help out. See, we win, we split it in half."

The dark-haired girl shook her head, eyes still narrowed but manner calming slightly. "How'd you come up with that one, Ran... _ko_." She begrudgingly allowed the stupid nickname, as this explanation was a bit sounder than she'd expected from such a baka like Ranma.

Here Ryoga finally jumped into the explanation. "Ranma needed a sibling to compete... and so did I." His words were soft, apologetic even, but they had the effect of calming Akane the rest of the way. The habitually lost-boy basked in the warmth of Akane's radiant smile.

"Well... that does make sense." She crossed her arms, smile fading as she turned once more to Ranma. "Okay, so we've got _your_ problem figured out for now, but I want something in return for playing along."

"Way to go, Sis!" Nabiki was proud of the sudden mercenary turn to Akane's thoughts.

Akane merely shook her head and blocked out Nabiki's praise. Instead she jabbed the competition file Ranma held. "Swimming. How am I going to do that one, Ranma? It's my home and my Dojo, so I should have a fair chance at winning, too..." and here her voice dropped to a miserable wail, tears wanting to brim up in her lovely brown eyes, "but I can't swim!"

Ryoga's heart went out to the girl and he hesitated, wanting to reach out and comfort her, but knowing he didn't have that right. He turned his miserable brown eyes to her, though, willing her to know how he sympathized, how he cared. He nearly missed Ranma's words in his emotional upheaval.

"Yeah, _Ranma_ can't go swimmin', either." Ranma frowned, unaware of the sudden glare from her partner in crime. "Let me think a bit..." Flipping through the itinerary and rules, she dug one foot absently in the soft earth, back and forth. Finally, a smile so beauteous lit her features one would be hard pressed to recall that it was a boy in a cursed form standing there. "Hey, it's a relay!"

Akane leaned over and frowned, ignoring the smile with difficulty, suppressing the desire to see the male Ranma use such a sweet look. "What? Relay?"

Nabiki snickered. "Yeah, well, you didn't let me explain, did you, Sis? It's a relay today. First sibling swims; second one runs. They have to hand off a baton."

The redhead nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah. Says here the swimmer goes an' gets the baton from some raft. He brings it back an' passes it ta the runner, who runs it ta the judge's table. No problem then." And the petite girl looked up, still grinning, but less dazzling than before. "So, Nabiki and I are swimmers, and Akane and Ranma are runners. No problem."

Relief washed over the black-haired girl and she couldn't help but smile at her annoying fiance. Ranma blinked wide blue eyes up at her, feeling suddenly out-of-her league once more... a feeling Ranma often got when dealing with the softer side of Akane Tendo. "I can run... I do that all the time. And Nabiki is always swimming." She turned happily to her sister, who merely shrugged.

"And the cooking?"

Akane frowned at Nabiki's words, turning sourly to Ranma, waiting for the usual nasty comments. They didn't come; instead, the girl calling herself Ranko was shrugging indifferently. Ryoga... no, _Ranma_, Akane had to remind herself, was looking away, not getting involved.

Flipping to the next day's schedule, Ranma shrugged again. "Says here it's another relay thing. One sibling cooks, the other performs the tea ceremony. Guess if it's two boys, one gets ta pretend ta be a girl for the tea ceremony... same with two girls... one pretends ta be a boy." She looked up at Akane and the inevitable insult poured forth involuntarily. "But I wouldn't worry 'bout it. Only the judge has ta eat it."

Storming away, Akane muttered darkly under her breath. Nabiki chuckled as she followed. For his part, the male Saotome competitor was backed up against the building looking ready to run at the next sign of danger, his wide brown eyes glued to the sight of the bruised and battered redhead at his feet.

Continued in Chapter Four: Fish Out of Water


	4. Fish Out of Water

Title: Fish Out Of Water

Series: Sibling Rivalry 4 / ?

Rating: PG-13: Language, and Kodachi scares me, so the rating is high.

Characters Intro'd: Kasumi

Competition Teams: Nabiki and Akane Tendo; Lin Lin and Ran Ran; Kodachi and Tatewaki Kuno; Ranma (as Ranko) Saotome and Ryoga (as Ranma) Hibiki

Note: In this chapter, all references to Ranma really mean Ryoga in disguise. All references to Ranko mean the real Ranma in female form.

Second Note: On suggestion from a very nice reader, I have updated this chapter with a bit more fighting in it. I hope this meets expectations a bit better. Please continue the comments and constructive criticism, as it really does help.

Third Note: I am very deprived, and have only gotten to read up to Ryo Kumon in the Manga and see up to Herb in the video's, so if you find contradictions, please chalk it up to my lack of Ranma 1/2 accessibility, and call it AU problems. 

Feedback: Please? We love comments: or 

* * *

Finally, all of the competitors were signed in, numbered, and costumed in either running gear or swimsuits. The runners were off to the side, waiting for the swimmers to start before being allowed to crowd back onto the sand to wait for their part in the race. Those who would be swimming stood at one end of the pool, the length stretching before them. Jostling among the swimmers was inevitable, as this was a martial arts competition, and no barriers between pairs had been erected. Instead, they were allowed to do anything it took to get to the other side of the swimming pool and get their batons. When they swam back, they would have to find their partner, hand over the baton, and hope to goodness that the partners weren't killed while attempting to run across the hot sand, cool grass, and even hotter parking lot to the judges. This competition, as all of them would be, was held on Furinken High School's large grounds, and the principal had taken the opportunity to turn the swimming pool into his version of a beach.

Restless, standing ready in her one-piece suit with the word _BOY_ embroidered across the breasts, was Ranko. She eyed her competitors, knowing that Kodachi Kuno and whichever Chinese Amazon twin was swimming would try their best to kill everyone else. Somehow, Ranko found herself sidling closer to Nabiki Tendo, knowing the girl probably wouldn't survive an all out attack by those other two. Not only would Ranko have to swim fast, she'd have to defend Nabiki… she couldn't allow her fiancée's sister to be hurt in this. The older girl might be the daughter of a Dojo owner, but that didn't make her a martial artist.

One of the judges stepped forward, holding up her hands. When silence fell across the competitors and the onlookers she spoke in a ringing voice. "The top ten teams will be the only ones to receive points. Finishing first doesn't necessarily mean winning, though it can help. We are looking for knowledge and skill in addition to your speed in the water or on the field." She glanced around and gestured to her male counterpart.

He stepped forward, cleared his throat, and tore his eyes from the sight of so many girls in skimpy bathing suits. "The top ten pairs will be judged separately… that is to say, each team member will be given her or his own score. When the score is totaled, the team with the highest points wins the event. A score of zero means that the competitor is not up to expected martial arts standards. A one means that the competitor has performed at an expected level for a martial artist. If the competitor gets two points in a single event, it means that person has exceeded our expectations and impressed us greatly. We do not often hand out a score of two. If at anytime a team does not make the top ten for three events consecutively, it will be eliminated completely, unless we only have ten teams remaining, naturally."

Clearing his throat again, the man finished with a flourish of both hands, nearly knocking Kodachi into the pool, much to the glee of many onlookers. "Thus, at the end of Sibling Rivalry, we will only have a fraction of the teams we started with. Oh… sorry my dear." He helped Kodachi to balance, copping a feel while he was at it and receiving a stinging blow to the cheek. He looked stunned as the audience started to whisper. Akane snorted and murmured, "pervert."

For her part, Kodachi turned her nose in the air and strode to a different area, closer to Nabiki. Ranko threw a glare at the Kuno girl. A whistle sounded, preventing tensions from rising further. A splash sounded, drenching people who stood too close.

Fortunately, Ranma had managed to jump out of the way, using reflexes honed from months of trying to avoid turning into something he'd rather not be. Casting a quick, nervous glance towards Akane, he noticed with relief that she was more intent on cheering her sister on. That reminded him… he was supposed to support his sibling in this. The teen tore his gaze away from the object of his affections to scan the water for the tell-a-tale red hair of his teammate.

When he spotted her, instant indignation swelled up. The Chinese twin in the water kept grabbing at Ranko's feet, tugging her under the water in an attempt to drown her. Ran Ran, on the tiles, was screaming her sister's name excitedly, taking the mystery out of which twin was which… at least for that day. Kodachi wasn't helping matters, flinging her arms out wildly: either she couldn't swim, or she was trying to knock unconscious anyone in reach. Suddenly, Nabiki reached out and grabbed the tie on Lin Lin's bikini top, letting it untie and expose her to the world. That forced the girl to let go her prey in an attempt to contain her bosom.

Ranko took advantage and dove under Nabiki, getting between her and Kodachi. On the way back up for water, she got knocked in the head, nearly choking on a sudden mouthful of the cold water. Before she could think of a minor retaliation against the annoying rich girl, Ranko's hair was viciously tugged. Her head jerked back and nearly gave her whiplash. She whirled around, the idea suddenly sinking in that she'd been deliberately singled out by these rivals. That was fine by her; Ranko wasn't the kind to back down from a fight.

She took advantage of all the swimming she'd done when traveling to China with her father. Taking a deep breath, Ranko dove under the chlorinated water, skimming quickly under the flailing Kodachi. Grasping one foot, she tugged. The Kuno girl was pulled under, gasping on both a shriek and a mouthful of pool water. Ranko rose to the surface, followed by the angry brunette who started trying to grab at the redhead's feet.

Kasumi's voice rang through the crowd, causing Akane and Ranma to turn and glance over in surprise. "Oh, Nabiki, your form is perfect!" Akane blushed, knowing Kasumi wouldn't realize how the vulgar Furinken boys would take that. A sudden cheer from most of the male viewers only supported Akane's embarrassed conclusions. She looked at the teen next to her, reminding herself again that he was supposed to be Ranma this week. His cheeks were just as red as hers felt, but he was also determinedly watching the pool. At least _he_ was being a gentleman.

With a twist, the redheaded competitor let loose a quick jab towards her attacker's face. Kodachi let her go and ducked to avoid the strike, which wouldn't have hit anyway. Ranko wasn't really into hitting girls if she could avoid it. The pain from her head still throbbed with each movement, but the martial artist turned and started swimming once more towards the opposite end of the pool.

In a rage, Kodachi screamed out "You little tramp!" Slipping a hand up into one of the thigh bands of her suit, the seventeen-year-old pulled out a plastic baggie. Using her mouth, she pulled it open and quickly dumped it behind her into the churning water. It started turning a noxious black, a rank odor wafting up and overcoming several competitors. The Kuno girl had thrown some sort of sleeping drug into the water… one that apparently reacted adversely with chlorine.

The Amazon had recovered by then, however, and managed to avoid the pool of fumes. Suddenly the sensation of pain extended to Ranko's leg. Glancing back, the sixteen-year-old had to maneuver to get a good angle; there was a thin wire around one ankle and it was tightening into the flesh there. Blood was already starting to well up. With a speed due to intense training in the _Amaguriken_ attack, the red-haired teen was able to untie the wire before Lin Lin was aware of the move. At the rate these attacks were going, she'd be lucky to make the final ten!

On the other hand Nabiki Tendo was making very good progress. She had taken the strategy, once free of Kodachi's attacks, to swim most of the way under water. Naturally she had to avoid the many fighting people, both male and female, in the pool, but most seemed more intent on beating each other silly rather than getting their baton. The thought that kept Nabiki going, despite the many random hits she suffered, was that all she needed was to win one event… come in the top ten of three events… The money that would be her prize would be enough to keep the creditors at bay and save her home.

Coming up for air, the brown-haired seventeen-year-old smiled. She gave one more stroke, reached over the edge of the pool, and grasped the cold metal baton tightly in one hand. With a deep breath, Nabiki slid under the water to navigate her way back across the pool and to Akane. She passed Lin Lin on the way and untied her strap again.

In rage, the Amazon screamed, twisting to see who had attacked. As Nabiki was under water, the only obvious target was either Ranko or Kodachi. Ranko wasn't even looking at her, but the Kuno girl had a self-satisfied air about her. Deciding to actually let her normal prey go, Lin Lin let out a battle cry and threw herself at the older girl, ignoring the still untied top. A gurgling was heard as Kodachi was violently pushed under the chlorine-laced cold water. Lin Lin followed, still hitting and kicking.

Near the end of the pool, Ranko was nearly knocked unconscious. A large blond boy had knocked her upside the head with a powerful closed-fist attack. He attacked again, but the redhead was ready for him, freely lashing out with an _Amaguriken_ attack to the water. Jets of cold, chlorine water sprayed up and stung the boy's eyes. He cried out, but kept his wits as he slammed her with two quick hits. She started attacking back, shooting out a leg and curling it around his legs. Ranko tugged hard and both went under.

It was several anxious minutes for those watching before the pair surfaced and split apart.

Relief washed over Ranko. She shot forward and grasped the baton, sliding backwards into the waters. With strong kicks, she barreled into the thick of the fighting teens, noting that several others were coming to their senses and breaking off from the free-for-all. Time to put on the old speed! If only she was in her male form; the training trip swimming to China would have really paid off for this. But this form was weaker than the other, not accustomed to a lot of swimming.

Before much more time could pass, the swimmers were reaching the end of the pool. Nabiki reached up and handed the slippery wet baton to her sister, who nearly fumbled it. Fortunately, her months of jogging and running helped Akane keep the lead the older Tendo sister had gained during the first half of the marathon. She sprinted over the hot sands, her bare feet burning but gaining better purchase than they would have had she been wearing shoes.

For his part, Ranma squatted down and held out a hand for Ranko's baton. He had cleverly wrapped it in his own shirttail, preventing the cold water from touching his skin. As he wasn't using a towel or other foreign object, the judges ruled that he wasn't cheating and let it go. The teen turned and sprinted after Akane. Blinking in confusion, though, he did a double-take. _She's going the wrong way!_ His inner radar screamed at him that to follow Akane would be to lose this match… and bring down the wrath of his teammate. The right way was off to the left; he was certain.

Akane, however, was having a rough time. Several competitors had homed in on the quick runner and tried to trip her up with attacks and sneaky tricks. Akane had to try to run and defend herself at the same time. She threw a sternum thrust with a loud "Kia!" and was pleased by the gasping of pain from her target. The boy bent to grip his knees, trying to breathe, and was basically out of the race. A well-aimed sidekick temporarily stopped Ran Ran as the Chinese girl tried to hit her with the baton.

Moving towards the left, abandoning the field of runners now catching up to the leaders, Ranma was surprised to be the only one going the right way. He blinked as he nearly toppled over a rope barrier marking the path. What was that doing there? Shouting sunk into his confusion and he looked up to see Ukyo right in front of where he stood.

"Get a move on, Jack Ass! You're going the wrong way. Back there!" She gestured wildly, anger in her voice. "Don't just stand there, Ranma, move your ass!"

He blinked, glanced over his shoulder at the other runners who were ahead of him now, and frowned. That couldn't be right. It… it just felt off! However, Ukyo's shouts couldn't be ignored and he turned around and headed off towards the clearly marked finish line. Ranma was convinced there was going to be some sort of hell to pay for this. Fortunately, after months of fighting Ranko and years of traveling and training, his speed made up for his lapse. He was able to catch up to the other runners.

This was no real triumph, actually, as the majority of the runners were in the process of beating the stuffing out of each other. Kuno had tripped a burly blond boy and was now busy defending himself from a flurry of attacks by a brunet. Ran Ran had tried to jump on Akane's back, drawing the lead runner out of stance and into the crazy battle. Having beaten off the blond, Kuno turned his attention to attacking Akane. She defended herself quick adequately, however, as she punched himin the stomach with the hand curled around the baton. He doubled over as Ranma passed them. It was the very wrong turn he'd taken that had kept Ranma from being targeted at all. He ran past the conglomerate and towards the finish line.

Once more, the dark-haired boy let instinct get the better of him, this time veering to the right. Instead of Ukyo's reprimands to guide him, however, he distinctly heard the sound of Kasumi's gentle voice calling out to him. "Oh, Ranma! They're gaining. Go back, go back!" He glanced over his shoulder and saw he really had been traveling in the wrong direction. Humiliation washed over him and the teen corrected his course yet again.

Akane Tendo struggled to escape the furious kicks of her Chinese Amazon attacker. She had been in the lead thanks to Nabiki, but the nutty younger girl's continued attacks had erased that boon. With a yell of force, the black-haired girl turned on her lighter-haired opponent and let her fist fly through the air, plenty of strength backing it up.

She didn't connect.

Ran Ran, sensing the danger and gloating over the anger she'd caused in the other girl, lightly flipped out of the way. She was congratulating herself on making Akane expend so much time and energy when she suddenly slammed into a very hard, very tall body. With a grunt, the Amazon fell and was nearly trampled.

The teen she'd hit barely registered it as he continued to block the renewed blows of his blond opponent. Kuno dodged as he tried to run, throwing a block or a punch when he could. Kodachi had been one of the last swimmers to shore, and the male Kuno twin was determined to make up for her sloppy performance, even if he had to run backwards so he could continue to defend himself. In fact… he sadly _was_ running pretty much backwards, a sight that aroused laughter in many a viewer.

He could see Akane pulling ahead, but there was no sign of his normal rival, Ranma. With a frown, knowing it was foolish to look but unable to deny the urge, Kuno glanced around for the Saotome boy. Way off on the right, far out of the pack of fighting runners, Saotome ran towards the finish line. He was staying quite close to the ropes. A frown tugged at Kuno's lips. Why hadn't he thought to move off out of the fray? He had to dodge another attack, this one by a thin, rather ugly girl in a tutu, and forgot all about Ranma.

The chaos had been bad in the water, but somehow it seemed worse on land. Dust rose quickly, mixed with sand and flying appendages. Grunts, yells, and the occasional scream of pain or triumph rang through the air. The judges began to wonder if bringing the competition to Furinken had been a good idea… at no other school had the competition degraded so far.

Finally catching their breath, the swimmers raised their voices to join the audience in cheering their favorites or catcalling to their opponents. Someone would pull ahead yet, after only a few steps, would be tackled and dragged back into the mayhem. It wasn't clear just who'd be the top ten competitors in this madhouse.

Screaming, louder than before, broke through the eardrums of many a viewer. Someone had finished the race. The judges turned to see Akane bent double, breath heaving, Nabiki prancing around in abandon. They conversed, wrote something in their pad, and watched as several other martial artists finished the competition close behind the Tendo girl.

After the final competitor had crossed the finish line, the judges made one last mark and called for silence.

Ranma stood, head bowed, face infused with heat as he listened to Ranko's tirade about his stupidity. Ukyo wasn't even intervening, having figured out just which Saotome twin was being portrayed by whom. It wasn't hard when one nearly got lost twice in a clearly marked running field.

Sidling closer, Akane and Nabiki also let the tirade go unchecked. Both were flushed with victory, hoping the first place win would add to their total. In fact, having both girls finish first in each half of the race should count for something extra, right? The older sister eyed the judges in eager anticipation, her normal bored air gone with the glory of having beaten every martial arts team out there.

The female judge stepped forward and nodded, resorting to her clipboard. "Okay, I'll read the personal scores, then the team scores. Listen carefully. If you haven't reached the top ten, you have another shot tomorrow." And she read, in an unemotional voice.

Shock coursed over the Tendo sisters as they heard Nabiki's name linked with a score of one. Akane had been given two points. A total of three put them in the top ten, but they had been so sure they'd won that event… the near miss was almost physically painful.

Of course, being followed by the Kunos, the Chinese Amazons, and the Saotomes getting one point each, for a total of two per team, didn't help. Most teams had only gotten a total of one point. Each of the four fierce competitors had made the top ten… and each wondered privately why the Tendos hadn't beaten out some pair of blond boys for Event Winner. Those blondes had neither finished first, after all.

After the scoring, Nabiki, frowning fiercely, headed directly towards the judges and demanded to know how she had only gotten one point even after finishing first. She was put soundly in her place when the female judge coldly claimed, "It was a martial arts competition, Miss Tendo. You barely fought. Clever though it was to avoid the competition to finish quickly, you did not display the satisfactory amount of fighting skill needed. This balanced your amazing speed and cleverness and gave you a one."

She wanted to claw and bite. That was so totally unfair. But Nabiki Tendo had learned long ago that life was very unfair. Rather than protest, and risk making the judges turn against her in the future, she smiled and nodded as if that was the most ingenious thing she'd ever heard of. "And the Saotomes? Why did they score so low?"

As it was no big secret, the male judge informed her of the answer. "The female scored adequately, but the male seemed to deliberately avoid the fighting, as you had. Thus, we could not judge his fighting ability at all. He scored a one for that, despite cleverness in avoiding the brawl. His sister fought well, but was rather slow in the water."

"Their pass off of the baton was also a bit unorthodox. Not illegal to wrap it in cloth to accept it, but it slowed them down considerably. They were docked for that, as well." The female added with a slightly warmer tone for the inquisitive girl. After all, it seemed Nabiki wasn't angry, but that she wanted to improve her techniques… and had picked out a couple that might present a real challenge in the long run. Smart decision, actually. The redhead certainly was a fighter of extraordinary skill.

With a false smile, the Tendo girl turned away from the judges. She let the inane expression slip into a frown and went back to her sister and friends to tell them of the final results. This wasn't good! They couldn't afford to lose the Dojo because they merely made the top ten every time. They would simply have to do better tomorrow… or there would be heads rolling, as far as the brown-haired teen was concerned. Reaching into her purse, Nabiki unwrapped a stick of gum and shoved it unceremoniously into her mouth, for want of something more satisfying, then she led the small group to their waiting families… and hopes for another day.

Continued in Chapter Five: ---when written---


End file.
